


It’s All Fun and Games Until Someone Gets Cursed

by lemonzesty



Category: Original Work
Genre: Angst, Boys In Love, But they don’t know it, Falling In Love, Fantasy, Fluff, Idiots in Love, M/M, Magic, Mutual Pining, Original Character(s), Original Fiction, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Past Relationship(s), Runaway Prince, Slow Burn, Unhealthy Relationships, Witches
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-09-23
Updated: 2020-06-16
Packaged: 2020-10-26 15:44:50
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 17,642
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20744681
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lemonzesty/pseuds/lemonzesty
Summary: Orion Adler wanted freedom. Nothing more, nothing less. Running away was the easy part, but things became much more complicated after the encounter with a charismatic witch and his carefree cat. One thing led to another, and soon Orion found himself stuck with said witch and cat. Can life get any more confusing? Apparently, because it was all happening to Orion after uncovering some forgotten history during his stay. A stalker that wants the royal heirloom, and so many secrets yet to be told. Can Koda and Orion make it through together?





	1. First Encounter

**Author's Note:**

> Please keep in mind that this is (basically) my first story on ao3. Any constructive criticism or feedback are welcome! Enjoy!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Howdy. I’m here to tell you that this story is now posted under a different name, called ‘Royals’ and you can read it here:  
https://archiveofourown.org/works/24751732/chapters/59842186  
Hope you enjoy!

**Orion**

There was a ripple in the bushes. The snapping of a twig. The sound of fallen leaves crunching under fast footsteps. Aware and alert, Orion gripped the handle of his scruffy, handmade dagger.

He noticed movement, and steel grey eyes were trained onto a particular spot in the thickets. A cat came into view, with a graceful surge it broke free of the twisting and tangling mess of leaves and branches, landing on a patch of moonlit grass and began grooming it’s fur. Orion stared for a moment. This white cat had a certain aura of elegance. The dark blue silk collar hidden under a thick layer of fur caught Orion’s eye and he moved to examine the silver tag dangling from it.

“Blanca.”

He felt the wind on his back, and before the attacker could land a blow, Orion leapt out of range. With the cat—presumably Blanca—still purring under the moonlight, Orion stood face to face with a creature of the night. Mysterious and silent, the figure stood with a black mask over his eyes and nose. Golden patterns decorated the mask, resembling a cat. With multiple piercings on his ears, he gave off a feeling of intimidation. A real, living, breathing witch. Blanca moved to perch herself on the witch’s shoulder.

They both stood, the moon now covered by a passing cloud. Orion’s hand slipped back onto the handle of his dagger and the witch seemed to notice. His eyes flashed to Orion’s hand, wrapping around the weapon slowly.

In one swift motion, Orion pinned the boy to a tree. The witch’s head slammed painfully onto the thick trunk and it shook leaves off the branches. As the faded yellow leaves fell around them, Orion pressed the dagger to the witch’s throat.  
“Go ahead,” the witch said, his voice silky and hushed. A daring look came from his eyes, the two multicoloured irises sparkled with a mischievous glint. “Kill me.”  
The green and purple eyes pierced through him. Hesitation lingered, and in that split second Orion stopped moving, the witch faded to mist. He stepped back and the cloud moved away.

The twinkle of a bell sounded from behind him. Blanca strolled into view again. He’s still here. He gripped his dagger tighter. All was still until mist began rolling in. A gust of wind zipped past Orion, a sharp whistle and a dull smack followed as it knocked the dagger out of his hand. He his heart rate quickened as he turned to see a blue arrow impaled onto the tree behind him before feeling a small trickle of blood on his cheek. The red rolled down his face like a teardrop.

“So tell me.” The witch emerged atop a large branch. “Do you intend to hunt me down?”  
Orion forced back a feeling of disgust and stopped himself from cringing. He couldn’t bring himself to do it. The guild offered a substantial sum of money, but to kill for it? Orion would never.  
“I don’t.” He said, wiping the small cut under his eye. The blood still dripped onto the grass nonetheless.  
“You’re a hunter from Verselles?”  
Orion gave the witch a pointed look. “Verselles has less hunters than you think—” Orion spoke as he turned to pick up his dagger. Blanca purred as she rubbed against his leg. “—And your cat seems to like me.”  
The witch clicked his tongue, making a “tsk” sound. He crossed his arms and legs. “You know how dangerous the Sanbella Woods are, right? Didn’t your mother tell you not to talk to strangers?”  
Orion frowned at the mention of his mother. “And you? Do you often make small talk with people crossing Sanbella?”  
The witch chuckled, a soft laugh echoed from the tree branch. He watched with amusement as Orion stroked the cat’s soft fur, scratching behind the ears and under the chin. It wasn’t long before they heard the dawn bell ring.

Their heads snapped up in unison as the bell struck once, twice, three times. Then again. The break of dawn sent a chill in the atmosphere.  
“Blanca,” The witch urged. Blanca turned away from Orion almost reluctantly, but leapt onto her master’s shoulder anyway.  
He turned to Orion with a hint of magic at his palms. “‘Till next time.”  
He stood in a trance as the witch disappeared with the passing breeze.

——

Orion wandered through the maze of fabric stalls selling various goods and made his way to the Adventurers Guild. The overhead clock ticked as he stood in front of the door, clutching a bag of healing flowers and whatnot. The fabric drapes moved with the wind and the drooping vines rustled. He took a deep breath before pushing open the wooden door and walked in, past the ivory pillars with intricate patterns covering them.

The liveliness of the building hit Orion across the face as he stepped inside. Very uncomfortable with the sudden burst of energy, Orion wanted to cash in and leave so he could hurry to the blacksmith.  
“Hey, hey!” Lance laughed. “If it isn’t my favourite prince.”  
His gravelly voice blended in with the noise of the crowds. Lance’s fluorescent orange bandana peaked over the top of the parties of people, and Orion shuffled through the grand hall to get to it.  
“Watch it,” Orion warned as he shoved the leather pouch into his outstretched hand.  
Lance only laughed again. Orion wanted nothing to do with the royal family, but the last name he bore brought him the unwanted royal position. The Adler family reigned over Verselles with an iron fist, and Orion was pushed forwards through an unexpected chain of events, leaving him first in line for the throne.

Lance found out by a stroke of bad luck. He’d forgotten to tuck his pendant in, and he managed to catch a glimpse of the royal heirloom dangling from Orion’s neck. A teal gem with a detailed sun carved into it by a meticulous craftsman, gifted to every royal child at birth.  
“I mean it.”  
“Aw, don’t be so cold.” Lance took the pouch and placed it on a scale.  
Orion sighed before slumping onto the stool in front of the counter.  
“And how about that other quest?” Lance asked as he turned to the wall of drawers behind him. His ponytail swished behind him every time he moved, Orion followed it with his eyes as it swung left and right.  
“I just—can’t, Lance. I can’t kill anyone that’s done nothing wrong.” He made sure to ignore the swinging ponytail as Lance turned.  
The redhead nodded in agreement and leaned over the polished countertop. “I think this entire “witch hunting” is all bullshit–“ his voice ducked down to a whisper–“they’re just trying to fool us, I know it.”  
Orion groaned. “She’s full of secrets.”  
“But–“ he dropped a bag of coins in front of him–“I don’t make the rules.”  
“Seriously?” Orion looked in awe as he opened the bag. “This is much more than I expected.”  
Lance winked.  
“I owe you one, bud,” Orion said as he slipped out of the stool and scurried out of the guild, away from the loud voices and crowded hall.

The town wasn’t much different though. The hood of his brown cloak was pulled over his head as he trotted along with the flow of the crowd. The busy streets were packed with people rushing to one place or another. The tall houses and shopfronts left a narrow slit for a view of the sky, and rows of lanterns strung on thin wire swung in the cooling breeze above the pedestrians.

The telltale clinks of the blacksmith could be heard, and the shop came to view. Steam rose in thin plumes from within. A man with an impressive beard sat before an anvil.  
“Excuse me,” Orion greeted. He didn’t take his hood off, as the shopfront was open to the street. “I’m here for a sword.”  
The burly shop keeper looked up from the anvil and smiled upon seeing Orion, even if his face was hidden under a large hood.  
“Just finished.” He picked up a longsword from a rack crammed to the side and handed it to Orion.

The silver-blue blade glinted as Orion moved his hand, and the sapphire like gems at the hilt glistened. Golden patterns adorned the blade like the vines climbing upwards, stopping at around a quarter of the sword. Orion gave it a test swing, the weight felt right in his hand as the sword cut through the air.  
“It’s perfect, thank you.” Orion sheathed the sword in a simple brown scabbard. He placed the coins on the counter and fastened the sword to his back. After another thank you, he turned to leave, once again disappearing into the crowd.

——

The prince slammed the door open, nearly tearing out the dainty bell above it. Lance’s second job at the rundown cafe meant little business and small income, therefore warranting frequent visits from Orion. Both for accompaniment and at least one customer. It wasn’t unusual for Orion to burst into the shop unannounced—although today his wrath on the door was noticeably more violent.  
“Lance!” He called, blowing his overgrown hair out of his eyes.  
Lance didn’t bother to look up as he continued wiping the countertops. “Watch it with the door, Orion. I don’t get paid enough to fix it.”  
“We need to talk.”  
“You sound like Bea.” He shuddered.  
“I’m being serious.”  
“Talk, then.”  
The shop was completely void of customers, much to Lance’s disappointment. Orion shook his head. “In the back.”  
“You know that’s not allowed.”  
“Please.”  
Only then did Lance finally look up, seeing Orion’s determined eyes he huffed in defeat. It wasn’t like he put up much of a fight anyway. He opened the door and invited Orion in to the back room.  
“What?” He asked once the door was shut.  
Orion rolled up his sleeve, and Lance leaned in to see a pure black pattern imprinted on his arm. “This.”  
Lance took Orion’s wrist and examined the mark. The circular pattern adorned with runes and glyphs in a foreign tongue. “What’s this?”  
“If I knew I wouldn’t be here,” Orion snapped with impatience. His face twisted into a look of frustration as mumbled under his breath. Lance looked at him expectingly. Orion pursed his lips before breathing a sigh. “I talked with the witch—”  
“You what?!” Lance’s entire body jerked forward.  
Orion froze, admittedly a little shocked. Lance’s usual calm demeanour completely replaced with a frenzied yell, it caught the young prince off guard.  
“I talked with...the witch?” His answer sounded more like a question.  
Lance pinched the bridge of his nose. “When was this?”  
“A week or so.” Some time had passed, and Orion couldn’t recall exactly when the encounter occurred.  
“Does it hurt?”  
“No.”  
“Does anything feel different?”  
Orion paused to think, then responded with a small, “no.”  
“This is probably the dumbest thing you’ve ever done, and that’s saying something.”  
Orion furrowed his brows. “Will I be okay?”  
“I’m sure you’ll be fine.” Perhaps Lance felt a smidge of sympathy for the younger boy, his reassurance lifted a heavy weight off Orion’s shoulder, even if it didn’t resolve anything.  
“But I think maybe you should find the...” his sentence trailed off as the back room door opened with a creak much similar to nails scratching down a blackboard. They both winced. Lance’s boss strolled in with her arms crossed across her chest in discontent. The young lady shook her head and jerked her thumb towards the door.  
“Out, Orion,” Bea said sternly. Her being second person that knew. Lance had a loose tongue, the situation was bound to happen, although Orion made sure it wouldn’t happen again. Two people know of his royal blood, and the two people were sworn to secrecy. He made sure of it.  
Orion pulled his sleeve back down as he shuffled pass Bea and out of the room, mumbling a small sorry as he stepped out. His hood was tugged back over his head.  
“Wait up,” Lance called from behind him. He leapt over the counter as Bea took over the register. The door creaked and groaned, shutting behind the two.  
“Your shift is over?”  
“No, but Bea let me off,” he said with a smile.  
“Come to the tavern with me, then.”  
“You’re paying.”  
Orion huffed. “Fine.”

The streets were fairly empty, save for the students loitering outside the confectionary stands, and a few guards around the corner. Girls and boys laughed and gossiped amongst each other, their school shirts untucked and ties and bows loosened for room to breathe once they escaped from the beady eyes of teachers.

Pushing open the heavy wooden door, Orion stepped into the tavern with Lance following suit. They sat at the furthest table to the back, and Orion tugged on his hood nervously. The tavern was—unsurprisingly—empty, they had maybe an hour before the dusk bell. The barmaid looked bored as she drummed her fingers against the wooden bar.

Orion, being too young to drink, settled on apple juice whilst Lance took a swig from his beer. He felt childish, drinking juice from a blue paper straw.  
“Shut up,” he hissed as he saw the smug look on Lance’s face.  
“I didn’t say anything,” Lance said, still smiling.  
Orion bit the end of his straw until it became so mangled that it only allowed small drops of juice to pass through.  
“Anyway,” Lance said quietly as he put down the mug. “I think you should go find the witch again.”  
Orion snorted as he sipped his drink and muffled his choking coughs. “Do you want me to die?” He slammed his glass onto the table, causing more ruckus than necessary. Thankfully, it wasn’t deemed important enough to catch anyone’s attention.  
“We don’t even know what the mark is, if anything, it’s probably more safe to find them.” Lance crossed his arms, carful to avoid saying ‘witch’.  
“Key word, probably.”  
The other shrugged. “That’s my suggestion.”

Orion flicked the soggy straw, sending juice flying over the hardwood table. His mind raced through the possibilities of his decisions. Orion propped his head up with his arms and swirled his drink lazily, the vibrating hum of the dusk bell struck through the town as people began to file in. The hazy sunset ducked behind Sanbella, leaving the warm autumn night to take it’s place.  
“So, are you gunna do it?” Lance asked as he finished the last of the lager.  
“I...yeah. There’s nothing else I can do, right?” He stood, placing both hands onto the table and pushed himself out of the seat. He hurled a coin at Lance before stepping out of the tavern.  
“Don’t die,” Lance called, his voice bright and happy, as if to cheer Orion on.  
He smiled to himself. “I’ll try.”

The evening air was warm and the moon began to rise, casting a silver glow upon the land. Footsteps were heavy against the paths as Orion headed back into Sanbella. He found his breathing to be more ragged than normal, and he clutched the clasp of his cloak tightly. The night was not cold, not at all, yet a shiver still travelled down his spine as he stepped across the threshold from Verselles into Sanbella Woods. From human territory to witch.

The wind carried orange leaves as it blew. The rustle of it filled the area, the only other noise being the distant voices of the city centre, still very much awake, even after the bell had struck.

He heard a soft crunch of pinecones and jolted. His hand immediately reached for the handle of his dagger, which had been discarded long ago. He his heart dropped before realising. He then moved to grip his blade on his back, yet his actions were stopped midway. The bushes parted, and a cat landed before him. She sat tall with a sense of pride, her luminous blue eyes scrutinising Orion. Slowly, he lowered his hand back to his side.

A great crack sounded from deeper into the trees, much similar to a clap of thunder. Orion’s foot caught on a pebble and landed on his backside. His heart pounded in his chest as he sat on the grass with wide eyes, barely registering the pain of tripping.  
“Are you alright?” A small, breathy voice uttered beside him. Orion turned to see a young girl crouched on the roots of a large tree. She wore a satin blue collar and a crisp, white dress. Silk ribbons wove around her arms and draped around her small, frail frame. Orion fumbled clumsily. At a loss for words, he opened and closed his mouth like a fish out of water.  
“Oh,” she said, standing and scratching at her neck. “I believe I haven’t introduced myself properly. My name is Blanca.”  
Silence ensued, where Orion sat like a statue with bafflement written across his face. Blanca covered her mouth with a pale hand as she giggled, the silver bell twinkling from her collar. “There’s no need to be wary, I’m a familiar.”  
Orion barely managed to gather his scattered thoughts. “So you, um, you’re the...cat?”  
“To put it simply, yes.”

A dim light shone from a distance. From where Orion was sitting, it looked like ribbons dancing through the sky. It crackled like a campfire, showering the forest with a colourful glow. He had an irresistible urge to get closer, like a moth, he felt drawn to the dazzling purple and green. As he neared the light source, he noticed a figure within the streaks of colour.  
“That’s Koda.”  
In the middle of it all was the raven haired, cat-mask wearing witch he’d intended to find.

The ribbons of green and purple twisted and coiled around the witch—Koda. The light escaped from his open palms, his unruly black hair was blowing wildly in the wind he was creating, turning up dirt and rocks from the earth below. The light rose from around him and towards the sky. Koda looked at peace until the streams began to merge, on his left, the green interlocked with the purple to his right. Further into the night sky the ribbons danced and Orion watched with amazement until he heard a strangled noise from the witch.

The light faded to nothing, and the wind dropped all the nature it had picked up, some of it landing onto the witch. Koda took in deep breaths before dusting off his grey button up, the multicoloured bracelets on his wrists shimmering.  
“Blanca,” he said. “Are we clear?”  
“Yes, Sir. But the charm is incomplete.”  
He groaned. “Yes, thank you for reminding me.”  
Blanca’s smiled mockingly with her hands behind her back in feign innocence.  
“And I see the not-a-witch-hunter hunter is here.” His body whipped around to meet Orion, he scanned him up and down from behind the mask, sniggering at his own joke.  
“Orion is your name, correct?” Koda continued once he realised Orion wasn’t going to say anything. He twirled his necklace around his finger as he spoke, the crescent moon charm sparkling. “Whatever it is, I’m only here to warn you.”  
That had piqued Orion’s interest. He crossed his arms and tilted his head.  
“A demon marked you, and you’re being targeted.”  
“What?” Orion blurted before realising he had broken his quiet facade.  
“Your home is wrecked and it’s coming for you.”  
“Excuse me?”  
“That is all I have to say.” He turned to leave.  
“Hey!” Orion snapped, which caused him to turn in surprise. His yell echoed through the forest. “What are you talking about?”  
“It is partially your fault, sir,” Blanca pipped up.  
Koda bit his lip. “Okay look, it was kind of my fault, but—“  
“It really was completely your fault, sir.”  
“Blanca!” Koda placed the back of his hand to his forehead and sighed dramatically.  
“Please,” Orion groaned in annoyance. “And the mark? Is that the black thing on my arm?”  
The witch tapped his chin in thought before turning to Orion again. “Come with me and I promise I’ll explain.”  
He gestured for Orion to follow.  
“Answer my question.”  
“Not here.”  
“Why?”  
“Because.”  
Blanca shifted back to a cat and padded onto Koda’s shoulder. He placed two fingers to his lips and a let out a shrill whistle. A broomstick zipped past Orion, narrowly missing his head and stopped abruptly in front of Koda.  
“This mark, is it dangerous?” Orion was determined to get at least a little information.  
“I mean, it’s been quite a while, and you haven’t died yet.”  
Orion glared daggers at the witch, his patients running thin. “Why did you wait so long to tell me?”  
The witch fidgeted with his necklace. “I was busy, y’know, brewing potions, casting spells, making sure I don’t get killed every other day.” His voice dripped with sarcasm.  
Orion stood, slightly dumbfounded and not entirely sure how to respond. The silence stretched on to be somewhat awkward and uncomfortable, but Orion’s stubbornness overruled the tense atmosphere around them.  
“So, will you help me?” He finally asked.  
“If you come with me.”  
“How do I know you’re telling the truth?” He was sceptical and slightly suspicious. He eyed the broomstick with worry.  
Koda smiled. “You don’t. You’ll just have to trust me.”  
He held out his hand, waiting for Orion to take it.  
“And what if I don’t?”  
“You might die.”  
“I can’t just go with you.”  
“No answers for you, then.”  
Orion clenched his fist, the witch was being difficult and Orion was more than a little irritated. “You’re a witch.”  
“Good observation.”  
“I can’t trust you.”  
Koda hummed as he nodded his head. “But you value your life, yes? I’ll help you get rid of the mark, but only if you come with me.”  
He stretched out his hand and offered it to Orion.

After a moment of thought, he took it, albeit reluctantly, and was lead onto the broom. He shuffled awkwardly as Koda climbed on with ease.  
“You might want to hold on, pumpkin.”  
Orion felt a surge of heat rush to his face. “As if—” yet he didn’t get a chance to finish before Koda roughly kicked off the ground.

Orion yelped as he shifted off balance. Immediately forgetting his previous comment, he latched onto Koda’s waist and clenched his eyes shut, not daring to let go. His cheeks were dusted in a light shade of pink and felt Koda laugh as they ascended into the sky.  
“Scared of heights?” Koda asked.  
Orion managed to open one eye, as he opened his mouth to reply, he noticed the splatter of stars in the sky. He opened his other eye and looked in awe at the twinkling diamonds in the vast darkness.  
“Not really,” he breathed. “I didn’t think witches actually used broomsticks.”  
“Most don’t.”  
He seemed reluctant to say it, but Orion could tell he wasn’t the most powerful. This benefitted Orion, he would be easier to defend against, if the situation arises.

They soared over the town, dim lanterns dotted the area. Orion looked down to see the mossy, cracked path to his house, and the ruins of where it used to be. His home was demolished, the wood charred black and broken to pieces. His hold seemed to loosen, because he felt himself fall as the broomstick lowered.  
“Woah!” Koda grabbed Orion’s arm and yanked him back on. “Who said you could let go?”

No reply came. Although Orion did tighten his grip around Koda as they lowered back into Sanbella Woods. The wind was so cold, his face grew numb as they landed. Orion touched down onto the grass with a gentle thud and both jumped off the broom, which then proceeded to zip away behind the small house amidst the trees.

Covered in moss, the home looked as if it were abandoned, with vines and leaves climbing up the walls, although the turquoise and maroon tapestries hanging above the doorway looked well kept and clean. A wooden bench sat to the right of the doorway, completed with yellow and red cushions thrown on carelessly. Two large, arching windows stood on either side of the entrance, which was hidden away in the corner, past the fabric draped over it.

“C’mon,” Koda called as he lifted the tapestry. “I said I’d explain, right?”  
Blanca leapt from Orion’s shoulder and trotted inside with him following behind. The wind chime beside the door twinkled as Koda shut it behind them.


	2. Unwanted and unwelcome

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It’s 1 a.m let’s gO

**Orion**

The home felt so different. Every corner of the house was filled with personal items, trinkets, charms, everything. The moonlight poured in through the large windows, casting light upon the tall shelves stocked with glass bottles and dusty leather bound books. Crystals attached to the tall ceiling hung down, emitting a faint purple glow. A glass dome roof could be seen in the right corner of the room with plants and flowers in white clay pots placed in disordered rows. To the back of the room was a simple yellow sofa on top of a circular rug with a symbol suspiciously similar to a pentagon. Orion didn’t question it.

“Have a seat.” Koda gestured to the sofa. “Want anything to drink?”

“No, thanks.”

“I’ll get to the point then.”

Koda moved to lean against the dark brown cupboard to the left of the sofa.He crossed his arms and took in a deep breath.

“The first time we met,” he began. “I was chasing after a demon that managed to slip out.”

Blanca—whom was now sitting cross legged next to Orion—snickered, which Koda ignored. “I ran into you, and, I-uh, forgot about the demon.”

Orion gave Koda an ice-cold glare, to which he put up his hands in defence. “Look, you’re the first person I’ve talked to in a while, and Blanca gets really annoying.”

Blanca only stuck out her tongue.

“Anyway, whilst we were talking, the demon seemed to—and as weird as this sounds—take a liking to you...I guess. And it...ah, it marked you as a target.

“It went to your home and wrecked it whilst I was tracking it down. It was trying to find you and eat you...probably.” Koda shrugged.

“So you’re telling me that I have no home now.”

“That would be correct.”

“And it’s your fault?”

“Also correct.”

Orion tried to speak again, but only to be interrupted by Koda. “I’ll have you know I did not do it on purpose.”

Orion was irked by Koda’s mockingly sarcastic and mischievous personality. It seemed the witch had little care in the dilemma he had put Orion in.

“Considering it’s my fault,” Koda added, noticing Orion’s deathly expression. “I’ll help you get rid of it.”

“Of what?”

“The mark.”

Orion ran his thumb over it, a warm sensation shot through his arm, causing him to flinch and withdrawal his hand. “How long would it take?”

“A few weeks, maybe?” Koda tapped his chin in thought. “To be honest, I don’t really work much with curses and whatnot.”

“So you’ve never done this before?”

There was a brief silence where no one spoke, the air was too thick.

“No.”

Orion opened his mouth to speak, growing more frustrated by the minute, but Koda cut in before he could say anything.

“I know someone, though,” he said. “She can help.”

Orion crossed his arms, the mark on his skin tingling and warm.

“It’s too late now, but I’ll find her tomorrow, I promise.”

Orion sighed. Trusting a witch is the last thing he should do, but as of now, the options were scarce. He looked back down to his arm. The mark was swirling and coiling. The home was warm and inviting, yet Orion still felt an odd chill down his spine.

“Can I take a look at that?” Koda asked quietly now that a peaceful silence fell upon the house.

Cautiously, Orion extended his arm to Koda, who was now crouched down in front of the couch. He lacked trust in the witch and it was quite obvious. He was thankful that Koda didn’t take offence.

Gently, Koda ran his hand over the mark. Purple and green eyes sparkled like gems as he studied the black pattern covering Orion’s arm. The sun began to peak behind the pine trees outside, and Orion felt himself growing drowsy. There was a comfortable quiet between them. The tips of Koda’s fingers began to emit a soft light as he drew a pattern above the demon’s mark.

“It’s a protective rune.” Koda’s voice grew softer after noticing Blanca dozing on the sofa. “It’ll mask the aura for now.”

A two toned rune formed and appeared onto his skin, the purple faded into green, and it looked even brighter against the dark black.

“You might feel a little tired, the charm does use up your energy.”

Orion felt more than a little tired. He struggled to keep his eyes open and his arm, previously tense, grew slack in Koda’s grip.

“Can I trust you, Koda?” He asked, at this point, he was barely awake.

Koda smiled. “You know my name.”

Orion nodded weakly. Before Koda could answer his question, he fell forward, already unconscious. His head fell onto Koda’s shoulder as his entire weight was shifted forwards. Koda caught Orion as he fell, and placed him back onto the couch carefully. He unstrapped the sword from his back and removed the brown cloak draped over him, setting them down on the floor beside him. He removed his mask after making sure Orion was asleep and threw a blanket over him. Blanca had shifted back into a cat and proceeded to clamber on top of Orion and rested her head on his chest.

Koda clicked his tongue. “Stupid cat,” he mumbled. Yet for some reason, he couldn’t wipe the smile off his face. Koda tore his eyes away from the sleeping figure, he placed the mask on the stand beside Orion and left him alone. With a click of a finger the lights dimmed, and the night was silent, as always.

——

The gentle pitter-patter of rain slowly woke Orion. His head felt groggy and his body felt heavy.

“Morning, sleeping beauty,” Koda said from somewhere beside him. Orion turned to see him sitting on a chair, reading. He wasn’t wearing his mask, and Orion could finally get a look at his face. Black, round-rimmed glasses sat on his small button nose as he flipped the pages of a tattered, dark red book. Orion had never met anyone with multicoloured eyes. It was oddly fascinating. Orion turned away once he noticed Koda looking right back at him.

He sat up slowly, the blanket previously draped over him slipped onto the floor, bringing with it a distraught cat tangled in the fluffy mess. He looked out the window to see grey skies and light rain. A warm sensation on his arm reminded him of the mark, still moving like snakes around his wrist. The rune, which seemed so bright, faded overnight.

“We’ll leave when the rain clears,” Koda said, going back to his book. He didn’t mention that Orion was staring at him, thankfully.

“So you do keep your promises.”

“Who said I wouldn’t?” He pushed the glasses up.

“Every history book I’ve ever read.”

“Is that so?” Koda said sarcastically. “They probably say we’re not human, too.”

Orion wanted to reply, but as he opened his mouth, he considered what he was going to say. Thinking of nothing positive, he chose to keep his trap shut for the time being.

“Do you believe the history books?”

Orion considered this for a moment. Blanca had made her way back onto the couch by this time, and was grooming her fur.

“Not particularly. And I was wondering—” Orion straightened his shirt. “—why are you so nice to me?”

Koda stopped turning the pages.

“It’s not being nice, Orion, it’s common courtesy.” He pushed his glasses up again.

“Uh-huh.”

“Would you rather I not help you?”

Orion glanced at the mark on his arm. “No.”

“You might want to fix your hair,” Koda suggested as he returned to his page turning. He gestured to the door beside him. Orion pushes the it open slowly and closed it behind him. He heaved a sigh as he leaned against the cold tiles of the bathroom wall.

He ran his hand through his silver hair and attempted to flatten it down. He looked at himself through the mirror, and was surprised at how well rested he looked. He didn’t have bags under his eyes, nor did he have the tired and grumpy expression. He eyed his hair with annoyance, it was in desperate need of a cut, and he often found it getting in his eyes.

Orion took this moment of silence to think. There was something about Koda that he couldn’t place his finger on, a feeling of sorts that he didn’t understand. Something about the witch left him on edge and confused. He contemplated the situation.

Am I trusting him too easily?

He patted a piece of hair flat.

Why do I trust him, to begin with?

He splashed some water on his face.

Is he really safe to be around?

He was buzzing with questions, and he searched for answers.

Why does he seem so—

The impatient knock on the door startled him and snapped him out of his thoughts.

“The rain’s about to clear and we can get going soon,” Koda said from the other side.

Orion opened the door to be greeted by Koda. He didn’t have his glasses on anymore, and his two toned eyes seemed more luminous than before.

Orion moved past Koda and threw his cloak over himself. He watched Koda drift around the room after slinging a tattered beige satchel over his shoulder. He placed a dark purple notebook, pens and a jar of green substance in it.

“Blanca!” Koda yelled as he rummaged through the shelves carefully.

Blanca came into the room as a human. Her bell twinkling as her bare feet padded against the wooden floor.

“Yes, sir?”

“Where are the draughts?”

Blanca tensed for a moment. “Why do you need them?”

Orion’s eyes narrowed. Blanca’s tone of voice suggested this was not something to joke about. He pretended to inspect his sword, not wanting to intrude, but continued to listen nonetheless.

“Just in case,” Koda sighed.

The conversation abruptly stopped, Orion turned to see Blanca trot around, inspecting the shelves. He could hear her humming a small tune as she pulled out two small, bright blue vials. The bottles had a golden crescent moon shaped lid and a pointed, golden bottom. The glass of the vial was decorated with small golden stars. Koda slipped those into his satchel too.

He opened the door and gestured for Orion to follow. Blanca leapt out the door whilst shifting back to cat. Orion watched as her body morphed and twisted into a feline. It was definitely not pleasant to watch.

“Don’t tell me we have to fly again,” Orion asked with a hint of worry in his voice.

Koda chuckled. “Something different today.”

“I don’t like the sound of that,” Orion mumbled just out of earshot.

Koda offered his hand to Orion again.

“Where are we going, again?” Orion asked as he took the witches hand, he felt a warmth shoot through him.

“To a friend’s place.” Without any warning, Koda scooped Blanca up from the ground and tightened his grip on Orion’s hand. “Might want to take a breath while you can.”

“You know, I’m really not loving these suggestions, because last time it didn’t end well for me.”

Koda let out a giggle as the multicoloured lights began to surround them, just like the streaks Orion saw in the forest. He looked to see Koda with his eyes shut, looking so detached from the world, yet his firm grip did not loosen as the ribbons of light wrapped closer to them. Orion took Koda’s advice this time, taking in a deep breath as the magic touched his skin, just before the world turned pitch black.

His first reaction was to breathe, but he quickly discovered that he couldn’t. Sounds were muffled as if he were underwater, and he could hear a feint beating sound around him. He felt weightless as he drifted in the darkness, and panic began to set in. Everything seemed to be spiralling around him, even if he couldn’t see, he was growing dizzy and disorientated until he felt three firm squeezes from his hand. Then the darkness disappeared.

Orion was suddenly blinded by the light and began coughing as he took in the breaths of air. He still felt drowsy and unstable and refused to let go of Koda’s hand, luckily the witch didn’t seem to mind. He dropped Blanca carefully back onto the stone floor. Orion took a moment to steady himself and look around. They seemed to be in a long alleyway with tall, stone brick walls. A distant light shone at the exit and Orion could hear birds chirping, along with the sound of flowing water.

Finally, he let go of Koda’s hand. Koda gestured for him to follow. They exited through the alleyway into another part of the woods. This time, the ground was covered in moss, and a small creek ran to the right of a cracked and weathered path. Blanca padded down the path next to Koda, with Orion behind them. He pulled his brown cloak closer to his body, feeling a cold shiver wrack through him.

The mark on his arm felt warm. Warmer than usual. The rest of his body, however, felt ice cold.

“Koda, I—”

His sentence was left unfinished as something wizzed past his face. He recognised the high-pitched whistle as an arrow that Koda had fired towards him when they first met.

A few paces before him, Koda’s bow was stilled aimed towards Orion. Or rather, to something behind him, Koda’s eyes narrowed as he let out a breath. Orion’s body snapped around in time to hear an ear splitting roar, and a jet black creature howling with an arrow that had pierced one of it’s eyes. The demon looked much like a wolf, with two forelegs and two hind legs. The thing was twice the size, though, and three pure white eyes on it’s pitch black face. It’s translucent body turned to a blue hue, and it enveloped everything in darkness. It snarled with menace and white foam bubbled at its lips.

“C’mon!” Koda had suddenly grabbed Orion’s wrist in a hurry. “Let’s go!”

They ran. The demon—after a few moments of howling—chased. Orion was pulled along the path by Koda, bow still clutched in one hand. Blanca was a few paces in front and the three of them dashed down the pathway. Orion wasn’t sure exactly where they were headed, but he hoped that Koda’s friend’s place wasn’t much farther. His legs began to ache and his breathing became more sporadic and uneven. A cottage came into view, and Orion continued to be dragged along until the demon stopped. Koda and Orion collapsed onto the well kept grass in front of the cottage, breathing heavily as they watched the demon struggle to get past some sort of invisible barrier.

“You alright?” Koda asked through gasps for breath. His bow was now gone, nowhere to be seen. Orion supposed he had just...magicked the thing away.

“Yeah.”

“It would be safe to say—” He stood up and patted the dirt off his pants, then helped pull Orion off the ground. “—that that was the demon that marked you.”

Orion rolled his eyes as Koda knocked on the door to the small cottage. Instinctively, Orion crossed his arms over his chest in defence.

A young man opened the door. He looked slightly older than Blanca, with raven black hair and blood red eyes.

“Koda?” His bored expression turned to a smile.

“Hey there, Yuuta. Is Quinn ho—”

“Koda!” A squeaky, childlike voice could be heard from inside the house. Fast paced footsteps echoed as a figure pounced onto Koda, knocking him backwards. A girl, younger than the black haired boy, looped her arms around Koda’s neck and engulfed him in a hug. She looked to be around fourteen, with long black hair pulled back into a high ponytail. Her pupils were a lighter shade of red. Her most noticeable feature was, however, the two large, sharp horns protruding from the top of her head and curling back along her skull.

“I see you brought a friend,” she said after stepping back from Koda. She flashed Orion a smile. “I’m Quinn.”

“Orion.”

Quinn leaned over to look behind Orion, at the demon that’s pawing at the barrier wildly.

“And you brought a monster along too.” She crossed her arms and looked at Koda with disappointment. He smiled sheepishly. Quinn sighed. “Come in, then.”

She opened the door wider and invited them in.


	3. Half Dead, But It’s Okay

**Koda**

“So, why did you come?” Quinn asked. “And why did you bring a demon to my door?”

“Do I need a reason for coming to see my best friend?” Koda smiled innocently.

“Oh please, you haven’t visited me in years.”

“Fine,” he sighed. “I do need some help.”

She looked from Koda to Orion, whom was admiring the abundance of books stacked neatly on the wooden shelves. “Is it about him?”

“And why would you say that?”

“It’s not often that you bring a friend along,” said Quinn, almost scrutinising Orion. “What is it?”

There was a brief silence, and the only sound that could be heard were the gentle purring from Blanca. Yuuta, now in his animal form as a fuzzy black rabbit, snuggled in close to her side.

“It’s the demon,” Koda finally admitted

“Knew it.”

——

The monster roared as it rammed into the barrier protecting Quinn’s home. The bright blue arrow was wedged deep into it’s body, and the translucent, slime texture of the demon allowed small flashes of light to seep through. Koda stood behind Quinn and Orion, observing. Killing a demon was no easy feat, and watching a regular human partake in such a dangerous act gave him an unsettling feeling. Nonetheless, the two stood behind the barrier, waiting for the perfect moment to strike.

Blanca nudged Koda’s leg upon noticing his distress, he bent down to scoop her up into his arms. He felt his heart rate slow as Blanca worked her own magic. Yuuta sat on Quinn’s head, he placed himself between her horns for stability. If it weren’t for the daunting task they must complete, Koda would’ve laughed.

His attention was brought back to the present. The constant “pang” sound from the barrier being struck became more irregular and sporadic, it grew increasingly louder.

“Ready?” Quinn’s voice seemed so small compared to the deafening roars. She didn’t wait for a reply and took down the protective force around her home with a touch of her hand. Koda watched as Orion clutched his arm, the sudden gusts of wind blowing back his cloak and sent his hair flying wildly. Koda stepped forward after Blanca dug her way into his satchel. The monster stepped back, and after letting out another ear splitting screech, charged forward.

“Just make sure it doesn’t get past,” Koda reminded himself, but Blanca had heard it too.

“_You’ll be okay_,” she chirped, her voice clear and crisp in his head. Their mind, body and soul were linked, and she felt what he felt. At that moment, it was nothing but pure nerves.

Koda lifted his hand, palm facing the ferocious beast and felt himself pour everything he had into stopping it from getting any closer. A brilliant green-purple pattern spun into existence as the spell was cast. A simple shield. The bright circle stopped the demon from charging straight into Orion. His feet were planted firmly on the ground, and Koda moved to stand beside him. He felt immense pressure on him, his arm straining and aching from the sheer force of the insatiable monster. He pushed back, determined. He felt Blanca’s magic on him, gentle waves of a feel-good feeling radiated off her. She was finally doing her job right as a familiar. He felt the strong surges of his aura flooding him, overflowing, even. All the noise around him seemed to fade as he poured all his concentration into keeping the monster away. Quinn’s order replayed themselves in his head.

_“Your only job is to stop it from snatching Orion,” Quinn instructed Koda with a pat on his shoulder. “He’s acting like the bait, and whilst you stop it, I’ll work on sedating it.”_

_“This does not sound good in any way.” Orion bit the nail of his thumb as he spoke._

_“I agree.” Koda pointed to Quinn._

_“It’s not, but it’s the only way,” Quinn shrugged. “You want to get rid of the mark, right?”_

_Orion nodded._

_“Then we have to catch it first.”_

Koda saw it with his own eyes. It happened in an instant, but it felt like time had slowed around him. A small crack in the circle, which then grew, and grew, bigger and bigger. It spread through the entire spell and he felt the pressure on his arm increase.

It burned and it hurt and Koda fought back the urge to yell in pain as the crack threatened to break his spell. The whole thing shifted and the demon pressed forward, determined to get to its prey standing beside Koda and behind the cracking shield. It was the only thing keeping him safe. Koda pushed on, despite feeling like his arms were being pulled off his body.

He could see Quinn yelling from a few paces in front of the two and the feeling of Blanca’s magic faded. He pushed on and on and on and on...

Until it shattered. Like glass, it broke into a million pieces. The fragments of green, purple, and the two swirled together, disappeared into dust upon contact with the ground.

Koda was frozen still as the beast zipped past him, taking Orion along with it. He couldn’t move, nor could he speak. All he could hear was ragged breathing, and he realised it was his own. The wind stopped blowing, and the magic fizzed away.

The monster was suddenly still and unmoving, Orion drifted in it’s inky mass, eyes darting frantically, arms and legs thrashing to no avail. Koda was in a daze, eyes wide and breathing heavily. His heart pounded and sweat dripped from his forehead. There was a wetness on his cheek, and he couldn’t tell if it was sweat or something else. The pain in his arm faded to a dull throb. It wasn’t until Blanca was pulling at his hand did his vision clear.

Sound returned, and he heard the chirps of the birds return, the rushing water in the distance and the dull hum of magic in the air. He rushed over to the pile of black, where Quinn desperately clawed at the slime in attempt to pull Orion out. He stuck his arm through the goo, ignoring the stain on his shirt he looked up to see Orion now with his eyes closed and mouth open. His finger brushed Orion’s arm, and he lunged forward to grab on. Pulling with all his might, he tugged Orion out of the watery substance and fell back onto the grass in attempt to catch his breath, with Orion’s body collapsed onto his.

_It didn’t work._ Koda’s felt too heavy to move. _Of course it didn’t work because I’m only—_

“Koda!” Blanca’s hand rested on his chest. He focused on the sapphire blue eyes looking down at him with worry. He laughed, but it was a choked, breathy laugh that helped drown away the tears threatening to spill.

“I’m an idiot,” he simply said. He pushed Orion off him weakly.

Koda turned his head, the grass tickling his cheek as he watched Quinn seal the demon away in a glass jar. The clear prison had a bronze cap screwed on tight, and a slip of paper with a guarding rune. The mass of black liquid opened its eyes, all three of them. It sent chills down Koda’s spine. Yuuta glanced back and forth from Blanca to Orion—still unconscious and dripping wet—lying in a lifeless pile.

Slowly, Koda rose from the ground and dusted off his clothes. He hoisted Orion onto his back, groaning under the weight, and trudged inside without uttering another word.

——

_Her smile was homely and her embrace felt safe. Koda could smell her floral perfume as he placed his chin on her shoulder. “Do you have to go?”_

_She smiled as she pulled away. She crouched down to meet his eyes and placed her hand on his cheek._

_“Ko, I’ll be back soon,” she comforted. Koda sniffled. His small hands clutched onto his mother’s on his face. “I know you don’t like being alone, but you have Blanca now.”_

_She pointed to the purring white cat at his feet. “She’ll take care of you.”_

_She shifted the strap of her satchel on her shoulder. Her crescent moon necklace reflected the light and sparkled like stars in the night sky. The seven year old witch rubbed at his eyes as she waved goodbye._

_Her silhouette disappeared down the path. Koda watched through the window as she left, her yellow sundress blowing in the soft breeze, and her beige satchel pressed against her side._

_Blanca placed her hand on his arm._

_“You’re sad,” she said._

_Koda nodded._

_“Why?”_

_Pause. The stillness of the house made Koda uncomfortable. “She always leaves. Every two weeks.”_

_“Why are you sad?” She persisted._

_“I don’t want her to go.”_

_Koda moved to sit on the floor below the window. Blanca shuffled next to him._

_“Who is she?”_

_“My mum.”_

_“Why do you miss her?”_

_Koda giggled, his previous tears forgotten. “You ask a lot of questions.”_

_Blanca looked puzzled. “I suppose I do.”_

_He giggled again. The soft, pure laughter from Koda filled the empty home. The room, previously dull, seemed to brighten up again._

_“Hey Blanca?”_

_She turned to him, her pale irises met the dazzling violet and green. He smiled, seemingly content with her presence._

_“Never mind,” he said. Blanca smiled and wiped away the tear tracks on his face._

_“You are one special child.”_

——

Koda jolted awake, his head fell from his shoulder, rousing him from his sleep. The window was left open, and a cold breeze blew the lavender curtains about. The moon showered the woods in silver. Koda rubbed his face.

“What a dream,” he mumbled. He must’ve fallen asleep after dumping Orion on a bed in a spare room. He saw shoes thrown onto the floor with little care, and a cloak strewn over a chair. Koda chuckled at his half-assed effort in keeping the room clean.

Anyhow, he got up, stretched and shut the window. He stopped to gaze at his reflection in the glass. Messy hair and dull eyes stared back at him.

Orion lay on the bed, still unconscious. The mark on his arm shrunk, and the colour faded slightly. Koda sighed. _Someday I’m going to actually kill someone, for real._

He was too reckless for his own good. Often he was perceived as someone who didn’t care much for other people. Koda never denied it, but he never intentionally tried to hurt anyone. Too badly anyway.

Every time, he wanted to yell, and thrash and throw punches, to just do something that could take away the gnawing feeling in him. Only this time it seemed unexplainably stronger. He chose to ignore it, like always. Instead, Koda left the room and trudged through the seemingly endless hallway in search of anyone he could pester at this ungodly hour.

The kitchen seemed inviting, and the low growl of Koda’s stomach lured him towards it. He ambled towards the overhead cupboards in search for something to eat.

The jingle of a silver bell caught Koda’s attention. His eyes darted to Blanca, sitting elegantly on the windowsill. He jumped at the sight of his cat staring directly at him, unmoving. It was like she could see through him—which she probably could. Sometimes Blanca seemed more intimidating him more than the monsters lurking in the woods.

“How are you?” Koda asked, breaking the silence. Their staring competition was getting nowhere.

“_Fine_.”

“You’re staying in that form?”

“_I find this to be quite entertaining._”

“Being a cat? Haven’t you been a cat for, what? Ten years?”

She blinked slowly, her fluffy white tail flicked behind her. “_That’s true, but I enjoy the difference_,” she said.

Koda shuffled through the cupboards again. He pulled out a box of chocolate chip cookies and dug his hand into the packet.

“_What are your thoughts on Orion_?” She asked suddenly.

Koda stopped his movements. “What do you mean?”

Blanca’s tail swept from side to side, awaiting an answer.

“I haven’t known him for long,” Koda shrugged, flinging cookie crumbs across the counter. “How am I supposed to know?”

He wiped his sleeve across the marble surface. “And what about you? You seem awfully attached to him.”

“_He’s different_.”

“How so?” Koda asked as he carefully placed the box back onto the shelf.

“_I’ll leave that up to you to find out._”

“Keeping secrets now, huh?”

Blanca remained silent. Koda scoffed. He moved to sit on the couch beside the window. He felt something press against his back, and moved to see his satchel squashed behind him. He reached into the bag to see what he had brought. He pulled out a bottle of catnip. Koda could feel Blanca’s interest piquing. He placed it back in the bag with a mischievous snicker. Then his hand grazed two small objects, they turned out to be the potions he’d packed.

The blue liquid swirled in the glass vial. Draughts of Dusk, one of the most difficult potions to make. Koda went through hell and back to make these. They looked beautiful, but in reality, this could be one of the most dangerous things Koda could put in his body. Closing up his bag he threw it to the side nonchalantly.

He didn’t feel particularly tired, so Koda found himself drifting into the library. He pulled out his glasses and shoved them onto his face. He hated it, needing to wear something because his stupid eyes decided to grow differently. Koda’s farsightedness annoyed him to no end, but alas, the stupid glasses must be worn. He scanned the titles, looking for something that could entertain him, or bore him enough for him to feel sleepy. Eventually, he settled on a small potions book in hopes of improving his own skills. Collapsing onto a small chair he began to read.

——

Koda’s eyelashes fluttered as a gentle thump was heard next to him. He squinted at the brightness of the room, the distant chirp of birds filling the quiet with a tuneless melody. He felt something shift on top of him. When he came to his senses he realised he was no longer in the library, but instead, lying in a bed. He couldn’t recall when he fell asleep, but it must’ve been quick because he didn’t remember reading much of the book. The yellow blanket was pushed away as Koda stood and stretched. The pale white curtains weren’t drawn, and thus drowned the room in sunlight. His glasses were sat on the nightstand beside him. He looked to the other end of the bed, then under it, noticing Blanca (miraculously) still asleep after tumbling off. Koda gently placed her back onto the soft sheets before she got uncomfortable.

Her eyes opened slowly.

“Sorry, did I wake you?” Koda smiled. Blanca stretched on the sheets. Her ears twitched and she set her sights on the window. With a leap she landed on the windowsill.

“What? You wanna go outside?” Koda asked with amusement.

“_I do_.”

“That’s a first.”

He opened the window anyway, and Blanca hopped out. Koda didn’t question it. He’d long since learned that Blanca could be quite cryptic with her answers.

He wandered aimlessly down the hallway, passing several windows and various paintings. He slowed to a stop before a particular door. It was a brown wooden one, much like all the others he had passed. Koda squinted at the sun beaming into the house and onto his face. It illuminated the dust drifting through the air like small specks of gold. Something felt wrong. A sense of dread filled Koda, as if this were the calm before the storm. He took a breath in, the earthly smell was dull. He then reached for the brass doorknob, twisted it slowly, and opened the door.

The room itself was still, except for the soft sound of breathing coming from Orion. Koda wasn’t exactly sure what had drawn him to this room. He had no particular reason to pay this unconscious boy a visit, but he felt the need to at least see how he was doing. Not that he could do much, anyway. It felt odd, to watch someone sleep, but he knew that Orion wasn’t just sleeping. A horrid sense of regret filled Koda’s mind. He shut the door behind him with a small click as he left. The feeling unsettled him immensely, and he hated it.

The nearby caw of a raven tore the silence.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I accidentally told my best friend about me writing this story and now she’s reading it :/ hi jess


	4. Snatched

**Orion**

The last thing he saw was the shield cracking, then a flash of pure darkness before it engulfed him. He remembered being inside the monster, and he could see Koda standing, watching him. He kicked and struggled, trying to get someone to help, or to get himself out. His hair drifted around him wildly and it was getting in his eyes. He blinked, trying to reorientate himself.

He sealed his lips shut, but the strong currents of the sloshing liquid began to pry them apart. He was in desperate need of air, and he spluttered as his mouth was forced open. His eyelids grew heavy, too heavy to keep open. He struggled against the force, but the lack of oxygen was getting to him. His head spun and his vision blurred. More black liquid forced its way into his mouth it slid uncomfortably down the back of his throat. It was the last thing he felt as his grasp on reality loosened.

——

He floated aimlessly through the darkness. There was no light, and no sound. His voice was gone, and he’d spent the first hour or so screaming, crying, thrashing about to no avail. His throat was raw and painful, but he ignored it. Orion tucked his knees in close to his chest so he could at least feel something, anything. His fingers grew numb from clutching to his legs so tight. His sleeves were wet from tears and sweat as he shivered slightly. He wasn’t sure how long it’s been, but it was definitely more than just a few hours.

A distant echo alerted him, his head shot up as it travelled through the nothingness surrounding him. There it was again. An echo of what sounded like footsteps. He saw a glint in the distance. A white spark. His heart rate increased and his breathing became shallow. The white dot expanded and grew, and he soon realised he was being pushed toward it. It was a room, the luminous space stood out distinctively against the deep black.

White tiles adorned the walls with a dull grey ceiling. He unfurled himself from his curled up position and his foot touched the floor. His body was pulled into the room with a firm tug through a large crack in the wall.

In it was a single, white table. On it sat a clear glass vase, filled halfway with water. A black rose was placed in the vase, it’s thorns sharp and threatening. He felt drawn to it. The lonely rose contrasted against the stark white walls. He stepped closer with caution and reached out for the vase. Orion’s fingertips gently grazed the glass, and a burst of colour ignited before him. He shot backwards, retracting his hand as the colours began to swirl around him, then faded away abruptly.

“What?” Orion found his voice again, it came out raspy and pained. He immediately bursted into a fit of coughs. He collapsed into the corner of the room, his back slamming into the wall.

There was no response. Orion wasn’t sure what he was expecting. His limbs were too heavy. Whatever it may be, he thought it was best to lean against the cool tiles. It helped with the almost unbearable heat.

His head perked up as he heard a small sound. A mumble of words. He peered around the room, eyes narrowing. A sudden melody surrounded him. A hypnotising song drifted through the room. Orion sat in shock, the sound played so suddenly, it took him a moment to realise and process it. The nostalgic lullaby echoed around him.

“N-no,” he whispered, the song registering in his head. The haunting melody sounded warped and wrong in so many ways. “Stop.”

His hands travelled to his hair, he clutched at it as the song played. The teal gem around his neck began to burn, as if it was searing his skin off.

“Please.” His voice was hoarse.

Orion’s eyes flashed to the gaping hole in the wall. The black outside twinkled with white specks of light. They resembled stars in the night sky. Maybe it was his blurred vision, but the white specks began merging together, forming blobs of white. Orion watched, eyes widening as it grew. He only averted his gaze when the light was too blinding. His hands slipped from his hair as the song playing in the background faded with the white. He felt something shift beneath him, a trembled that moved him ever so slightly.

Then he fell. There was no time to utter any sound before the floor of the room vanished. He plummeted down. Orion let out a painful shriek as his legs kicked uselessly at the sudden drop. The wind around him felt as if it were cutting into his skin, the frosty air hitting his skin and feeling like a million tiny pinpricks.

His falling was stopped promptly by something soft, yet it still winded him as he collided, knocking all the air from his lungs. Orion felt his body jolt upwards, and suddenly his eyes were open. He panted, his heavy breathing made his head whirl.

It took a minute for his vision to come back into focus. The fist thing he could see were purple and green. There were a set of eyes looking at him. They sparkled like glitter. Black hair that closely resembles a birds nest. Koda. Koda leaned over him with his hand on Orion’s wrist. They both shared a stunned look, eyes wide, mouth slightly apart. The room was completely still as they regarded each other, seemingly in disbelief.

Orion was the first to move. The silver haired boy lifted his trembling arms slowly and threw himself over Koda, to which he responded with a surprised “Oh.”

He closed his eyes as more tears began to roll down his face, dripping onto Koda’s grey shirt and the yellow bedsheets below them. Koda—after a moment of stunned silence—returned the hug. His arms wrapped around Orion’s waist and pulled him in close. Orion tightened his grip on Koda’s shirt. At this point, he was sick of crying. It’s been nothing but tears non-stop, yet nothing he did seemed to help.

“You’re okay,” Koda murmured softly.

Eventually, his body stopped shaking. Orion was the first to pull away. He wiped his face with his sleeve and looked down.

“You have a fever,” Koda said quietly. “I know you just woke up, but you should rest some more. Your body hasn’t had a break since you passed out.”

Orion gave no response, not even a noise of acknowledgement. He just sat, somewhat dumbfounded and dazed. Koda’s advice had only registered in his mind after he felt a weight lift off the bed.

In a burst of sudden emotion, he grabbed onto Koda’s sleeve. He glanced at the emerald and violet orbs as his head began to feel woozy from his fever. Orion was surprised himself, he wasn’t sure what had prompted him to stop the witch. His voice came back after a brief second of quiet.

“Please.” His speech was slurred. “Stay.”

Koda’s expression was unreadable, and Orion silently begged for him to stay. He refused to admit it, but he was scared. He understood it was just a side effect of being swallowed by a demon but the nightmare was so surreal. It left a twisting feeling in his gut. His own expression was—with no doubt—giving away all his thoughts.

Koda seemed to get the message. He sat down on the chair beside him. He watched Koda snap his fingers, and a book materialised in his hand.

“Sleep,” he simply said, pulling out a pair of black, round-rimmed glasses. Content, Orion rolled over and closed his eyes as the gentle sound of pages being turned lulled him to sleep.

——

The next morning, Orion had woken to the sight of Koda sleeping soundly next to him, his soft breathing filled the room. Orion forced back a jolt of surprise as to not wake the sleeping witch, but he definitively did not expect to see Koda so close to him. Orion had to steady himself, his fever making him dizzy after standing up so quickly.

He glanced to the sleeping figure. Koda had collapsed on top of the covers with his glasses still sitting crookedly on his face. Orion pulled the glasses of gently and set them on the bedside table.

“You shouldn’t be prancing around like that,” Koda’s voice made Orion jump. “You’re still sick.”

It was true, Orion did feel groggy and gross, but it wasn’t like he could just bundle up and go back to sleep with Koda right next to him. That fact didn’t seem to bother the witch at all. He rubbed his face as trailed his hand through his curls. His beaded bracelets catching the sunlight and glittered as he sat up.

“I’m fine,” the younger boy bit back stubbornly.

Koda only shrugged. Orion turned to locate his shoes, which he’d found sitting in the corner of the room.

“Hey, Sleeping Beauty,” Koda called from the other side of the bed.

“Stop calling me tha—” his words were cut short as he turned to be hit in the face with fabric. “What the hell?”

He pulled them off his head to see clothes.

“Get changed, you smell awful,” Koda sniggered as he fake-gagged. He stepped out of the room before Orion could retort.

Holding up the clothes, he examined them. A plain white button up and black trousers. The young prince wondered where it came from, perhaps it was Koda’s? He scrunched his face up at the idea.

Orion opened the door to see Koda resting against the wall. Blanca emerged from behind him.

“It’s good to see you back,” she said. Her bell chiming lightly. Orion scratched the nape of his neck. He calculated how long he’d been gone for. It couldn’t have been more than a day, but his overheating head was playing tricks with his memories. It felt fuzzy and distant, and he couldn’t seem to form a clear image.

Before he could speak, though, Orion felt himself stumble. Lightheaded and dizzy, he tripped forward. His collision with the floor was stopped by a forceful tug to the back of his shirt.

“Whoa there, pumpkin. I thought you said you were fine.”

Orion groaned, half from his spinning head and half from the stupid nickname. Koda hoisted Orion up, supporting him from under the arm. They made it down the creaking staircase and Koda all but threw Orion onto the sofa.

Blanca seated herself beside Orion, her bushy tail placed gently on his hand. Before them sat the horned girl. Orion couldn’t exactly pinpoint her name. She had her legs crossed, the black rabbit on her shoulder. Her chin was held high and there was a glint in her eye that could intimidate the toughest warriors in Verselles.

“You’re lucky I saved you, human,” she began. Orion flinched, her words were like daggers aimed at him. “If it weren’t for Koda, you wouldn’t be alive now.”

The aforementioned witch wasn’t even in the room. He had fled somewhere. Orion found himself growing more drowsy as the girl spoke.

“You two are now linked.” Orion tried his best to focus on her voice. “Which means you have Koda’s aura in you as you heal.”

“Aura?” Orion asked like an idiot. Blanca’s fur tickled his hand.

She sighed. “His magic.”

“So you mean, Koda is inside me!?”

There was a loud cackle from behind Orion, and Koda strolled in, giggling like a school girl.

“Yes, inside you, however you wish to interpret it—stop laughing,” the horned girl said, clearly annoyed. She stroked the rabbits fur with aggression. “Anyway, you two are now linked, so you two need to stay relatively close to each other until the spell wears off after the human—”

“Orion,” Orion couldn’t help but interrupt. Being called ‘human’ made him extremely uncomfortable.

“Fine, whatever. The spell will wear off after Orion has healed.”

“Wait,” Orion gestured with his hands. “You’re telling me, I have to stay with him—” he pointed to Koda forcefully. “Until I’m better?”

“Don’t be so ungrateful, you little brat,” Koda quipped. “I saved your life.”

Orion groaned as he fell back onto the homemade cushions. “How long will it take?”

The girl twirled a piece of her raven black hair. “That depends on your body. It could be anywhere from a few weeks to a few months.”

He buried his face in his hands.

“Aren’t you homeless anyway?” Koda asked.

“What?”

“Your home was destroyed, remember?”

“Oh,” Orion mused. “That’s right.”

“Well, let’s get going. Thanks for letting us stay.”

The young girl crossed her arms, her pointed ears flushing a light red. “Whatever. I’ll see you around, then.” She retreated back to a different room promptly after.

Her familiar waved goodbye as they departed with the streams of emerald and amethyst, where Orion took in one last breath as they leapt into the darkness.

The reassuring feeling of touch pulled him along until he could see the vine covered walls and colourful tapestries. The damp forest air drifted around him with crickets and frogs chirping about. Sanbella certainly proved to be a much better candidate if Orion were to play his mother’s game. He smiled to himself, before his throbbing head made him stumble again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! Please leave a kudos if you’ve enjoyed it, it would be greatly appreciated!


	5. Hurt

**Orion**

Living with a witch was the last thing Orion would’ve thought he could accomplish in his life. Now, stuck with a witch for who knows how long, it seemed a lot less impossible. Their time together so far had been a majority of mindless banter and the occasional teasing. After falling unconscious for a week, Orion felt constantly agitated and fidgety. Especially when Koda was around. He could tell it was affecting the witch, too. The horned girl—Quinn—had said it was a common side effect, the dull thrum beneath his skin.

Rain season had washed over the kingdom. Outside, nothing but large, heavy water droplets falling from an endless grey sky. Inside, nothing but boredom. Koda had skipped of to wherever he goes for whatever he needs, leaving Orion miserable and restless. He’d been sick for days, and the fever showed no signs of relenting.

His agitation seemed to stop once Koda had left, though. Orion could at least sit still without needing to squirm or fidget with anything. His entire body seemed to buzz when the witch was around, it was somewhat vexing, to say the least.

He was free to roam the house. He could often see Koda sitting on his bed or at his desk—his room was a loft suspended above the floor below. He always seemed to busy himself with something when the two weren’t bickering. A part of Orion was genuinely curious.

They were still awkward at times, where both wouldn’t know what to say. Mostly because Koda was difficult to understand and almost impossible to decode. 

The twinkle of a bell rang as Blanca strolled through the house. Her pink paws padded towards Orion, who was—at this point—gazing out the window with disinterest. The loud pitter-patter of rain hit the roof like irregular drum beats, blending in together and making a white noise that faded into the background.

Koda was nowhere to be seen. There was no sudden pang of energy, nor was there the cocky tone of his voice.

“Hi Blanca,” Orion spoke monotonously. “Where’s Koda?”

“Not sure.” She stretched out her arms and legs, cracking the joints that had been a feline’s just moments before.

Orion snorted. “You lost him?”

“Not exactly. He just...wanders off sometimes. He’ll be back soon.”

And the beat of rain returned to fill the silence. Orion’s propped his face in his hand, his cheek almost pressed against the cold glass. Blanca hummed a tranquil melody as she trotted around the room, brushing her frail hand against the dark wooden shelves.

Orion blinked as the tune drifted through the room. Eyes widening slowly as the song drowned out the drum of water droplets smacking against the house.

“Stop,” he said tautly, then clenched his mouth shut before any other harsh words could escape. Blanca turned, the song abruptly ending. “Sorry, I don’t mean to be rude,” he quickly added. Blanca’s eyes narrowed, her sapphire blue irises piercing through Orion like a dart.

“Why’d you ask for me to stop?” She questioned, head tilting, moving the bell on her collar. She blinked, returning to her innocent look.

“How do you know this song?” He countered her question with one of his own, brows furrowed and lips tugging to a scowl.

She seemed to think for a moment. “A little birdie sand it to me once.” She smiled. “And you?”

“I’m being serious,” he said.

“So am I.”

Orion pursed his lips, his hand reaching to press his pendant closer to his chest. “It’s a long story,” he sighed, scratching the back of his neck and craning it to look out the fogged window again.

“All we have is time,” She mused.

“You shouldn’t know it,” he began again after gritting his teeth so hard it began to cramp. “The song.”

“Why?”

Orion drew a frowning face, quite forcefully, on the window. “Just because.” He felt childish and immature. _Why are magic people so weird?_

She was beside him then, moving silently until he felt a weight on the sofa. Her legs tucked against her chest, Blanca regarded him with gleaming curiosity, and a little, knowing spark. She picked at her lace anklets and wiggled her toes before stilling them. Orion shifted to leave a small gap between them.

The atmosphere was—for a lack of a better word—tense. The air felt thick as the two remained silent, almost scrutinising one another. Orion had never found the need to make conversation with Blanca, and the lingering awkwardness was pushed back and the thick atmosphere around them was almost choking.

Blanca seemed indifferent, smiling as if she were without a care in the world, but her firm gaze suggested otherwise, almost daring him to speak. Which he did. “You know, don’t you?” _That I’m royalty._

The polished silver bell jingled on her neck, as if replying to his question. “Yes.”

“You’re doing it on purpose,” he guessed.

“That was not my intention.” Lies.

Orion crossed his arms with fingers still damp from the window.

“Are you gonna tell him?”

“No. It’ll be more interesting if he figures it out himself.”

That earned a scoff from the prince. “You think this is a game? My life is on the line here.”

“It’s not.”

Orion raised a brow. “How are you so certain?”

“A little birdie told me.”

Orion curled his fingers around his arm, scrunching the white fabric of his borrowed shirt. “This _little birdie _seems to know a lot,” he said with newfound frustration.

Her smile never wavered, but it did drop to what could only be described as a grim expression. Orion sighed and uncrossed his arms as his own expression softened—just a little.

“What’s your story, then?” He asked, hesitantly. “Whose the little birdie?”

Reluctance flashed in her eyes for a brief moment, her shimmering ocean irises glossed over before Blanca blinked them away.

“An old...friend.” She pulled her legs in closer and rested her head on her pale pink knees. “Not anymore. He was hardly a friend anyway.”

Orion fumbled with his sleeve, his stomach turned with regret. He shouldn’t have asked, it was an obviously sensitive topic.

“I think I saw him recently though,” she provided, her voice sounded flatter than usual, lacking that mocking edge to it.

“You don’t sound happy about that,” he said.

She nestled her head deeper into her legs. “He never brings good news. I haven’t seen him in a while and I hoped it would stay that way.”

Wind began to howl outside, it blew the rain, causing it to smack harder against the walls. The silence stretched on to be uncomfortable, the only sound was the uneven rhythm of water droplets. Orion had two options: back out now and risk having to talk about himself, or press further to find out more about Blanca and Koda. Deep down, he knew Blanca was letting him change the topic to talking about her instead of himself, the question is _why._

“What do you mean?” He chose to keep going.

“He’s a familiar. He serves someone really horrible.”

“Who?”

“The name wouldn’t mean anything to you,” she shrugged. “All you need to know is that he’s nothing but trouble. He and Koda have some history, they’re not exactly on good terms. I know he’s trying to get Koda back.”

“What?” Orion tried to make sense of the broken pieces of information, but they were too small to fit together.

Blanca huffed, then took in three deep breaths. “I’m going to be honest with you,” she said, her legs dropping from her clutch only to cross and uncross repeatedly.

“Please do.”

“I need your help.”

“Is that why you came back early?”

Her finger went to flick her bell. “I think Koda’s in danger,” she continued. “He’s being stalked.”

“Oh?” Whatever he was expecting, it wasn’t that. “By who?”

“His ex.”

Orion, by all means, did not mean to laugh. It left his mouth like a half snort, half choke.

Blanca slipped off the cushions. “Keep it in mind,” she said. Stepping forward, her form distorted like water, and she she shrunk into a cat just as the front door swung open.

She padded happily to Koda, nuzzling his leg like nothing had happened. He was drenched from head to toe. His usual head of curls were flat and dripping wet. His mask, the one Orion hadn’t seen in ages, was thrown onto the small wooden bench as he stomped inside. The buzz was back. The energy, the restlessness, it all hit Orion as if a wave had just crashed over him.

He could see the anger rolling Koda in waves. He was _seething_. That wasn’t what concerned Orion. It was the fact that he was silent. No sounds came from the usually rambunctious witch that wouldn’t shut up. He was dead silent. Orion’s silver irises were trained onto him, watching him as he slammed the door shut and stomped up the stairs. He ignored Orion’s unwavering gaze until the prince could no longer see him anymore. Blanca’s bell and the incessant rain felt deafening.

——

He was still upstairs. Koda hadn’t made an appearance ever since he came home. Orion paced through the house, to which Koda would yell from wherever he was to stop. But nothing happened. There wasn’t even a noise of complaint. Orion supposed he could’ve been asleep, yet it was so quiet it felt as if he were the only one here.

He tried to peek his head over the railing, just to check if Koda was at least _alive_. The loft was too far up to see much. He caught a glimpse of white. Blanca wasn’t moving, her bell gave no sound after she had settled upstairs.

He stood before the narrow staircase, contemplating his choices. He could go up and see if Koda was alright, but since when did he care so much? Orion tried to think of a reason, where did the sudden worry spring from?

He found himself at the top of the stairs, looking into Koda’s cramped room. The single window allowed the sunlight behind grey clouds to pass through, and shine directly onto Koda’s dark black hair, which had regained its fluffy curls after it dried. There he lay, with his back turned, and Blanca’s head resting gently on his leg. Upon seeing Orion, her head perked up.

“Go away,” Koda mumbled, his voice sounding much too small. He curled his legs in and shrunk into the mattress. Orion exhaled a breath he didn’t even realise he was holding.

“Look, you’ve been really quiet and it’s freaking me out. What are you sulking about?”

“Leave,” the witch said. This time, his voice grew stern and cold. The lavender crystals hanging from the ceiling sparked, and it flickered and dimmed before Orion could open his mouth to speak.

Blanca’s paw landed on his chest, she meowed gently with large, pleading eyes.

“Koda?” Orion blurted.

Koda jolted, a shudder ran through his body. Orion stepped closer until his legs were pressing against the edge of the bed frame.

“Please,” the power in his voice was gone again. It was croaky and shaken.

Blanca hopped off the bed, her limbs growing and morphing until she landed beside Orion, tugging on his sleeve and pulling him down to reach his ear.

“I don’t know what’s wrong, but he won’t talk, not even through the line.”

“The line?”

She groaned. “That’s not important, right now I need you to get him to talk.”

“Why are you asking me?” He hissed back. “There’s even less chance he’ll talk to me.”

Her eyes were shimmering with pain, it was a silent plea. They both sighed as he pushed past the books and pages stacked beside the bed to reach Koda, curled in the corner of the mattress.

The clouds began to drift outside, and the mist and rain began to clear. The sunlight casted a golden glow onto Koda as Orion sat near the end of the bed. He hesitated, not sure what to say. With his face turned away from Orion, Koda managed to shuffle even further from him.

“What’s wrong?” Orion attempted. He could feel Blanca’s burning stare on him, scorching his back. The sharp sting of Orion’s lip reminded him to stop chewing on it. The inside of his cheek was swollen and sore from his consistent and subconscious biting. “I’m trying to help, so just tell me what’s wrong, and I’ll see what I can do.” He tried to be as comforting as he could, yet he had no experience with comforting another living being. Orion only hoped he was doing it right.

Koda muttered unintelligibly, and Orion slid closer. “What was that?”

“Get out.”

His gaze flitted to Blanca, she nodded. “Please, Koda, I’m trying to help.”

Koda’s shoulder’s began to tremble. He slowly rose, head down, his raven dark hair covering his usually sparkling eyes.

“You’re trying to help?” Koda said, fists clenching the grey sheets. “You’re asking me _what’s wrong_” His gaze lifted to meet with Orion, the sudden jerk of his head moved his hair out of his eyes to reveal the fear resonating in his expression.

“Why do you care what’s wrong?!” Koda’s voice cracked, and his yell didn’t even have enough time to echo before he continued. “You’re only here so you can stay alive and move on with the rest of happy, sunshine-filled life! I’m only here to _keep_ you alive, so why do you care so much about me? Human’s aren’t supposed to care! They take what they want, when they want and don’t look back or give it a second thought, so _why…_” Koda’s sentence trailed off, and he huffed a small breath. “Why do you pretend to care?!”

Orion’s eyes widened as he sat, stunned silent, like an unmoving photograph. There was no sound, nothing could be heard over the pounding of Orion’s heart. Koda sat, slightly breathless, and waited. The hanging crystals threatened to shatter, the cracks running through them grew by the minute.

“I see,” was all Orion muttered before standing. He walked past Blanca, their shoulder’s brushing as her eyes followed him. He walked down the stairs, threw on his brown cloak and dashed out the door with his sword clutched tightly in his hand.


	6. Officially Friends

**Koda**

“You went to a _human_ _infested market_, what did you expect?” Blanca said, crossing her arms.

“I was chasing the rabbit!” Koda put his hand up in defence.

She sighed, and grabbed his face and pulled it closer to hers, squeezing his cheeks together.

“You _don’t_ go to human places. The treaty was made for a reason.” She peered into his eyes sternly before letting go.

“I went to school, believe it or not,” Koda mumbled as he patted his cheeks.

“That’s why you didn’t want to talk,” she snickered in sudden revelation. “Because you’re scared of me.”

Koda flushed, his hand covered her entire face as he shoved Blanca off his lap. She laughed as she tumbled off the bed.

“Why were you _so_ angry at Orion, then?” She asked, dusting off her dress and sitting up.

Koda fell back onto the bed. His body bounced upon impact, rustling the bedsheets even more.

“Well, I went into the market, right? And these people were immediately onto me. I was just minding my business, chasing the rabbit, and they wouldn’t stop following me,” he said, gesturing with his hands the entire time. From Blanca’s position on the floor, she could only see the frantic movements of his fingers. “I kept my eyes on the ground but then one of them got too close, so I turned to tell them to back off, and—I took my mask off, by the way, I’m not completely hopeless—anyway, they attacked me.

“It was in the middle of a market, and I couldn’t do much. They had that weird water that burned my skin and they tried to tie me down, but I escaped and ran home.” He lifted his shirt to show the patches of burnt skin on his abdomen. His aura weaved around the scabs like stitches, slowly shrinking the burns away.

“That’s why you were mad at Orion?”

“I know I was a bit unfair, but I was mad, okay? And hurt. I just… there’s something about him that I can’t stand. It’s like being next to an open fire. I have to constantly watch out so I don’t burn myself.”

She thought for a moment, her hand coming up to her chin. “_You_ were the one that offered to save him, sir,” she then said.

He humphed, his arms dropping to his sides before sprawling out to occupy the entire bed. “I just wanted him to leave _me_ alone, okay? I didn’t tell him to be a sensitive prick and leave the house. Plus, you’re supposed to protect me. I got attacked, fur-brains.”

“Don’t try to change the subject, and my job is not to protect you from other people, it’s to protect you from _yourself_.”

“Well what do you want me to do, then?!” The back-and-forth argument was getting nowhere.

“Go help Orion.”

“As if I’m going to help that doofus. He was the one that ran out.”

“You’ve already helped him this much,” she reminded. “Can’t you tell that you hurt his feelings?”

Koda snorted obnoxiously. He wasn’t particularly worried, their link was still up and running, and Orion wasn’t in danger. The idiot had his sword _and _Koda had charmed the surrounding forrest. It was his territory anyway. He had to come back eventually, Orion wasn’t _that _dumb ...right?

——

** Orion **

He didn’t have a goal in mind, nor did he know where he was going. He just _panicked_. Witches weren’t like humans, their magic can tear an entire kingdom apart in a blink of an eye. He needed to get away from Koda before something bad happened. 

Orion wasn’t one to admit fear, he’d never display it. Yet like a coward, he ran from Koda because he was _scared. _For the first time in a long while, he felt the rush through his veins, the adrenaline, the pounding of his heart. He hadn’t felt it since the king passed away. 

The moss beneath his boots were soft, like stepping on cotton, as he trudged across the flowerbeds. His cloak trailed behind him, flowing in the wind. He had managed to strap the sword onto his back with numb fingers from grasping the weapon so tightly.

His heart had finally stopped racing and hammering through his ribcage. His footsteps slowed to a stop at a crack through the dirt. A crack that emitted a faint violet glow. His toes were in line with the split through the ground, and the light shimmered upward like a wall, halving the trees and shrubs that grew between the two sides. 

There was a caw of a raven, and the fast paced flapping of wings, the sound of leaves and twigs snapping, and finally a thud. From Orion’s side of the crack, he could see a hopeless bird laid sprawled out on a bed of moss and weeds after tumbling through the canopy of trees.

A wild cat sprung from the nearby bush, back hunched and baring its sharp teeth. It took tentative steps towards the injured raven, its claws digging into the dirt every time it inched forward. Orion watched as the bird squirmed helplessly, unable to fly. His hand had already wrapped around the hilt of his sword when he realised he was stepping forward and over the crack.

The wild cat leaped, and the raven squawked and flapped its wings with reckless abandon. Orion grounded his feet and swung his blade, it clashed with the fierce claws and repelled the cat backwards. It hissed, ears lying flat against its skull, before pouncing again, this time aiming for Orion. He ducked under the wild cat and thrusted the back end of his sword into its side, knocking it down with a shriek of protest before it landed on its back. With a twist of its body, it flipped onto its front and inched backwards with sharp eyes still locked onto Orion.

Orion only turned to the raven once the cat retreated back into the bushes. The bird was on it’s feet, hopping through a pile of leaves and tilting its head at Orion.

Gingerly, he reached for the bird. It showed no signs of fear, and jumped closer to Orion’s finger. Quietly sheathing his sword, his other hand slid down the raven’s back. The smooth fur was soft to the touch, ruffled from the fall through the trees. He picked the stray leaves out of its feathers and glided his fingers down its wings. His hand was light, careful not to hurt the raven, and lifted them.

“Odd,” he muttered under his breath. There were no injuries. The bird could’ve flown away at any time. Orion cupped his hands and lifted the raven slowly, bringing it to eye level. The shining black feathers seemed to glow a dark purple under the sun.

“You found my bird.” Orion—surprised by the unannounced voice—dropped the raven as he turned. Its wings beat quickly as it landed on the grass. He pulled his hood down as his body snapped around to meet the man in the shadows. It was a habit to tug the brown fabric over his head.

“Oh, I-I didn’t know it belonged…to somebody,” he stammered, slightly embarrassed. Orion was careful to keep his eyes low as he squinted in attempt to make out whoever was standing in the shadows.

“Come,” said the stranger. Orion almost looked up, thinking the man in the shadows was talking to him, but the raven cawed and scurried forwards.

Thick plumes of black smoke began to rise from the bird. It swirled into a cloud of darkness, like smoke from a forest fire, shrouding the raven. As the smoke thinned, a young man, no older than eighteen, stood amidst the lingering specks. _A witch?_

His hair was an odd shade of dark blue, and it blew in the chilling breeze. He stood still and motionless, watching Orion with an uninterested look.

“Now, now, Corbin. That’s no way to greet someone,” the voice scolded.

“Corbin,” the raven-boy said. What followed was silence for a mere second before Orion remembered how to speak again.

“Moon,” he said. It was the protagonist of his favourite book as a child. He almost laughed at the memory.

“What’s a human doing so deep in Sanbella?” Asked the voice, he seemed to have creeped closer. Buried in the back of his mind, there was the smallest smidge of panic.

“I got lost,” he lied, eyes narrowed. “I was looking for my friend, you see, and he tends to wonder around without thinking.” The lies poured from his mouth with ease. He spent all his life practicing.

“Corbin,” the voice said.

Corbin stepped closer to Orion. With each pace forward made by Corbin, Orion took a step back until the heel of his foot caught on the trunk of a tree. The raven-boy’s hand landed gently on the hem of Orion’s hood. 

The prince kept his breathing even, and forced his eyes to stay on the target, Corbin, who was now pulling the hood down. Orion made no move to stop it. Tufts of silver hair emerged from beneath the fabric, and he lifted his head, eyes sternly locked on Corbin’s deep black irises. Corbin’s palm pressed into the tree trunk beside Orion’s ear, and leaning against it, he came closer to Orion’s neck.He sniffed, nose almost touching skin, and inhaled sharply, then pulled away to face Orion, returning the firm gaze.

He spoke in a tongue Orion had never heard before. The foreign language sounded ancient, there was a slight resemblance to Sellan—Orion’s native tongue, but it was incomprehensible to the prince. He finally pushed off the tree, their torsos—previously almost touching—now had about a metres distance from one another. 

“You seem different from the other travellers,” the voice said. The crunch of leaves sounded from behind him. A black, gloved hand touched Orion’s shoulder lightly, Orion forced back a flinch. The stranger emerged from shadows. Wine red eyes, much darker than Quinn’s. Jet black hair that fell into his eyes in the most perfect ways, it almost seemed purposeful. He was charming, like a character out of a story book. Impossibly flawless. He wore a dark maroon shirt with a loosened turquoise bolo tie that shimmered with every movement.

He unfurled his fist to reveal a small, bird like creature made from streams of the same wine red. It flew into the air, before it dissipated like a wisp of smoke. _Definitely a witch._

“Are you sure you’re not mistaken? I’m here for my friend,” Orion said with more force than necessary.

The stranger stood a head taller than Orion, and towered over him with a cautious, yet confident demeanour. “No, I’m sure,” he paused. Orion didn’t miss the way his eyes sparkled, but it was different to Koda’s. Koda’s sparkle was like a gem. Something beautiful and precious. The stranger’s sparkle is dangerous, filled to the brim with intimidation and dominance. He tilted his head downwards, and bowed shallowly. “_Your highness_.”

It felt as if Orion had stopped breathing for a split second. The witch’s words were like weights being dropped onto his chest. His eyes widened impossibly big and his mouth threatened to hang open in shock. There was no way a witch could’ve known who he was. His entire life was spent isolated behind the impenetrable castle grounds, where not even the citizens of his own kingdom, let alone a witch, could see him. Most people didn’t know what he looked like. His throat felt dry.

“Your highness? You must be mistaken,” Orion insisted, hiding the panic in his voice. He was failing miserably.

The stranger moved to Orion. With his back still against the tree, he had nowhere to back away. The stranger’s hand reached out, and his gloved fingers brushed Orion’s neck. His heart dropped as the witch located the brown string, and slowly tugged on it, threatening to pull the pendant from its tucked position against his chest. Orion’s hand flung to grip the witch’s wrist tightly, stopping him in his tracks. He released the string, and Orion felt the reassuring heaviness again.

“What do you want?” Orion demanded, the politeness in his voice completely gone. His free hand was ready to either punch or to pull out his sword, and either was fine by him.

“I’d hate to be rude,” the witch smiled. “But I want the pendant.”

“You’re not getting it,” any ounce of courtesy had already flown out the window. “It’s mine.”

The witch chuckled. “You’re cute,” he said. “The name’s Noel,” he wrenched his wrist out of Orion’s grip with ease. “I’ll be taking the necklace.”

——

**Koda**

Koda sat on the old armchair under the glass dome roof, in the corner of his home. The greenery were thriving, and soon there would be enough for potion making again. He was reading through his notebook, a grimoire of sorts. It was tattered and beaten. The navy blue cover was now covered in patches of faded colour, and the once golden spirals decorating it have been dulled through the years. The only vibrant and intact portion of the book was the golden clasp that fastened the book closed. It was the first spell he’d ever learned, one that would open this book.

He flipped through the yellowed pages delicately, his mother’s handwriting scrawled in messy unorganised chunks, with drawings of plants, lists of ingredients and methods sprawled over the page. Koda’s own handwriting merged with his mothers about halfway through. The good thing about this grimoire was that it never ran out of pages. His writing could take up half the book, theoretically, and he’d still have another half to write on.

Whilst reading, his eyes kept flitting to the dome above him. The sun was well over halfway, and the idiot hadn’t come back yet. In the back of his mind, there was a nagging voice that didn’t seem to settle, no matter what he tried to distract himself with. 

Finally relenting, he folded his glasses and threw them onto his bed, or where he hoped was his bed.

“Blanca!” He yelled. Her head peaked around the corner. “I’m going to find him.”

She smiled a knowing smile. 

“The link is dying,” he complained to the wall. “Did he seriously not notice the _massive crack _along the floor that clearly looks like one he should stay behind? He’s an idiot, I swear.”

Blanca watched him talk, he could feel her beady eyes on him.

Throwing the door open, his mask lay untouched on the bench since he last threw it down. He placed it reluctantly on his face. Koda had always thought it was feminine. 

_“A cat? Really?” Koda whined to his mother, who held the mask before him. _

_“Darling, mine’s a cat too. It’s a family thing,” she said. Her voice was so soothing, Koda found it hard to disagree. He was only twelve, and his mind was set on having a dangerous animal, not a cat. “Blanca’s a cat,” she reminded. Koda could tell she was holding back her laughter._

_“But Blanca’s Blanca,” he pouted. “And she’s scary,” Koda added, whispering._

_“That means this mask can be scary too.” She handed the black mask to him. The golden decorations reminded Koda of her bracelets._

_Grace tucked a strand of her midnight black hair behind her ear and patted Koda’s fluffy curls. “I’m your mum, Ko, I always want the best for _you_.” She poked Koda in the chest, they both giggled._

He never grew to like the mask, only to tolerate the mask. It wasn’t the fearsome animal of his dreams, like a griffin or a hawk, but it was something special from his mother. 

“He’s not even fully _healed!_” Koda continued, exasperated. “Why do I always need to save him from one thing or another?” He picked up his poncho and wrapped it around himself as he muttered.

Blanca’s tail draped across Koda’s nape, falling on the opposite shoulder to the one she was perched on.

“You’re getting heavy,” he said. Blanca threw a paw onto Koda’s face, almost landing in his eye.

_“Just find him.” _

_——_

**Orion**

Noel felt heavy on top of him. Orion had been knocked back and was now being pressed into the grass. He bunched his legs together and kicked, successfully knocking Noel off and springing back to his feet. His face had a few cuts from the aura that seemed to hit out of nowhere. A droplet of blood rolled down his face, staining the grass below them with a patch of red.

His sword was already clutched in hand when Noel stood. He held it before him, waiting for the next move. Noel had barely regained his balance when Orion felt arms around him, holding him down again. The grip was so tight he couldn’t move his arms. With a sharp twist, Corbin manoeuvred the sword from his clutch. Noel snatched it from the ground, inspecting it with fascination. He swung it alarmingly close to Orion’s torso, before holding it to his neck. “Hand it over,” he said with slightly less friendliness in his voice.

Orion resisted the urge to spit on his irritatingly symmetrical face. “No.”

“I wasn’t asking.” He slashed the sword, stopping just above Orion’s shoulder-blade. 

“And I said no,” Orion quipped.

Noel shrugged, dropping the sword. He removed the silk black gloves and shoved them into his pocket. Blood red aura began to gather in his palms, bunching together to make a perfect sphere. He inched it towards Orion. So far, Noel hadn’t been able to tear the necklace away from him, as every step in rage resulted in a kick to the groin. Noel learned it the hard way.

The red beams made contact. It zapped Orion’s skin like electricity, and left a lasting sting against his cheek, where it touched. Orion shook his head, thrashing more wildly in Corbin’s grip. A yell was torn from his throat as more zaps spread through his body.

His brain felt like static, and there was nothing around him apart from impending doom. His arms grew slack, and his breaths came in short bursts. Everything hurt. Perhaps he yelled again, but the ringing in his ears didn’t help.

Orion felt it before he saw it. A buzz under his skin. The wind behind a flying arrow blew across his face. It hit bullseye on Noel’s bolo tie, shattering it and knocking him backwards. The pain stopped coming, and Orion manage to regain control of his aching limbs. Corbin’s grasp loosened enough for Orion to elbow him and throw him back.

His gaze flitted through the green to find a silver bell that caught his eye, and then Koda, with his bow drawn back and brows furrowed. Orion couldn’t recall when he’d been happier to see him. 

“Duck!” He yelled. Orion shot to the ground as another arrow flew over his head, grazing the top of his hair. Looking over his shoulder, the arrow had pierced Noel’s top, pinning it to a tree. He was smirking. He winked at Orion, before fizzing away like fog, disappearing deeper into the woods.

“This is the third time I’ve had to come and save your ass,” Koda said shortly after Corbin flew away. “How did you not notice, or at least _think_ to not step over that crack on the ground? Does it not seem dangerous at all to you?”

Orion had already braced himself for a scolding, perhaps for Koda to yell at him, but he wasn’t ready for the disappointed, worried and—dare he think it—caring tone in his voice.

“I’m sor—”

“Save it,” he said. 

Orion shut his mouth.

“I’m just glad you’re okay,” Koda added, murmuring.

“What was that?” Orion perked up.

“Nothing, let’s leave.”

“No, no, you said something.” The prince shuffled closer to Koda, cracking a small smile. “You’re glad I’m okay?”

Koda looked away, attempting to push Orion’s head the other direction. “Yes, I’m glad you’re okay, can we leave now?”

“You know what this means, right?” Orion sheathed his sword.  
Koda sighed. “What?” He said, not even a trace of interest in his voice.

“It means that we’re officially friends now.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you’ve read this far, why not leave a Kudos? That would be greatly appreciated!


	7. Update

This isn’t an actual update, but I have reposted this story under a different name. It is now called ‘Royals’ and you can read it here:

https://archiveofourown.org/works/24751732/chapters/59842186

The rest of the story will be updated there. Hope you enjoy!


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